Improvement in alloys for metric gold coin



UNITED STATES PATENT Canton.

WILLIAM W. HUBBELL, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ALLOYS FOR METR|C GOLD COIN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,909, dated February 4, 1879 application filed January 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WHEELER HUBBELL, of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented an Improved Alloy Metal for Metric Gold (loin, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention consists in the proportions of the metals used to form the alloy of gold, silver, and copper.

Gold coin at an early period was made of gold as the metal of intrinsic value, and an alloy of one-tenth of silver and copper, in about equal portions, combined to give it greater density to resist wear and be capable of coinage. This proved too soft, and now the onetenth is entirely of copper. I believe the color is too dark; the coin tarnishes, and the alloy isincapable of being made, as to its constituents and as a whole, in metric weight for coin of standard value; and, further, I believe, is still too soft.

The object of my present invention is to overcome all these faults.

This alloy I make as follows: I take thirty (30) parts or grams of pure gold, one and a half (1.5) part or grain of pure silver, and three and a half (35) parts or grams of pure copper, using the same kind of weights in these proportions; I melt and mix the metals together. One-tenth part of this alloy will be copper, and the combined precious metals of gold and silver will be nine-tenths fine. The quantities are all metric. Thirty-five (35) grams in weight of this alloy in mass has the intrinsic value of twenty (20) dollars, and when coined makes a double eagle. The color is more yellow than the alloy of gold coin, and does not turn dark on the surface, and is harder and more durable.

In this alloy the silver is employed for the production of a lighter'yellow color and for resisting oxidation, which is efi'ecte-d by its union with the copper, while the one-tenth of cleaned in the usual way.

This alloy does not admit of any material variation, although very slight variation in milligrams might be made, though not ad vantageously for gold coin. This alloy will also suit for ten-dollar, five-dollar, three-dollar, two-and-a-halfdollar, and one-dollar metric gold coin of proportionate weights. The twenty-dollar coin will weigh thirtytive grams. The ten-dollar coin will weigh 17.5 grams. The fivedollar coin will weigh 8.75 grams. The three-dollar coin will weigh" 5.25 grams.

The two-and-a-half-dollar coin will weigh 4.37 5 grams. The one-dollar coin will weigh 1.75

grams.

The metal, when rolled out, is tobe cut into the pla-nchets, annealed, cleaned, and struck into coin.

Having fully described my invention and the best manner of using the same, what I claim is- The alloy metal for coin, consisting of gold, silver, and copper, in or about the proportions of thirty (30) parts of pure gold, one and a halt (1.5) part of pure silver, and three and a half (3.5) parts of 'pure copper, substantially as described.

WM. WHEELER HUBBELL.

Witnesses: I

JAS. A. TAI'r, D. 1?. (Down 

